1. The less said about Boston, the better

Tuesday night featured yet another loss to the Bruins this season, this time on the other side of the continent. But what's interesting about that is the fact that it was in fact the third straight shutout suffered by the Flames at TD Garden.

That's 180 straight minutes without a single goal, but the goalless streak is actually a little longer than that because the last goal scored by Calgary in Boston was Alex Tanguay from Chuck Kobasew and Matthew Lombardi at 10:24 of the third in a 3-2 loss on — get this — Oct. 19, 2006. Since then, the Flames have been outscored 16-0 in three games on the road against the Bruins, 5-0, 9-0, and now 2-0. There are second-grade children alive right this second who have never seen the Flames score a goal in Boston. That is mind-blowing.

What's interesting though is that the last time the Flames won in Boston was the 2003-04 season, in which they won 5-0 behind a Jamie McLennan shutout. Hockey is definitively weird.

2. More stuff on Feaster's firing

I've already written at length (and I mean serious length) about the Flames' direction in the wake of the Feaster firing over at Puck Daddy, but I've now had more time than a few hours to think about it, and a few more things have crystalized, there's some good news after some initial concerns.

Again (and again and again and again) this was a decision that should have been made years ago and again one must acknowledge that Feaster's hands were, to some extent, tied by ownership's idiotic and doomed insistence on “going for it” every year. However, that's not to say he didn't bungle things left and right. The fact of the matter is that he was never the right man for the job, and one can only hope — against all evidence, obviously — that whoever's brought in will be able to be less of a bumbler. Avoiding huge offer sheets for which the player is subject to waivers would, for example, be a good place to start.

3. The replacement

The Flames are, for one thing, definitely not going to hire Joe Nieuwendyk, which would have been a bad and huge mistake (although they're only not-doing it because he reportedly said he wasn't interested in the job), which is a good jumping-off point. However, there should still be some concern about the autonomy anyone they hire at this point will be able to carry with Burke ducking into his office every hour on the hour and screaming “SIZE!” “GRIT!” “HARD TO PLAY AGAINST!”

There was a discussion on Marek vs. Wyshynski last week about which situation, Calgary or Buffalo, would be more desirable for a new GM to come into, and I don't know how the answer is anything but, “Oh god Buffalo times 100.” The Sabres are starting from a much better position in terms of the quality of prospects (given that they've been at the rebuild a bit longer), and there won't be anyone telling you how you should build your hockey team to the extent that Burke certainly will.

Jim Benning or Paul Fenton or whoever else is on the interview list — though one imagines those are the two guys who eventually get hired by the teams in question — seem like very, very smart guys (Benning's insistence on why Boston had to trade Tyler Seguin notwithstanding), and being told that building a team which is “hard to play against” is vital seems like something smart hockey people won't go for. Of course, one also doesn't turn down the pay, responsibility, and stature that a GM job necessarily carries, either.

Someone's going to take the job, and you just have to keep your fingers crossed for the organization's sake that they have a differing philosophy from the one currently carried on an organizational basis.

4. The Klimchuk contract

Was very interested to see that even without a GM the Flames signed Morgan Klimchuk to his ELC, which as Ryan Pike pointed out yesterday seems more like housekeeping than any statement of intent with regard to his ability to play pro hockey next season.

While his points per game is on the rise (though not by a particularly large amount at 0.06 P/gm), his goals are down even more slightly (minus-0.04), and thus it's safe to say that of the Flames' three first-round picks in last year's draft, he's performing the worst. With Sean Monahan in the NHL and Emile Poirier ripping the QMJHL apart, the team is likely going to turn its attention to getting the latter of these kids locked up soon-ish.

This also makes me wonder about the Flames' aggression in trying to sign their underclassmen in the NCAA, Jon Gillies and Johnny Gaudreau. I've said all along that I wouldn't be surprised to see either stay in college, nor would I be shocked to see either sign when the NCAA season is over. I've been hearing more and more that Gillies is probably going to be leaving Providence this summer, because what more does he have to prove? That same logic could be extended to Gaudreau, but he's more a guy you hear both things about. If I had to bet, I'd guess they're both pro next season, but again, it wouldn't surprise me at all if neither were. Still a lot of time left, and you'd think what Gillies does at World Junior starting next week is going to play a big role too.

5. Not so fast, Sven

Finally, I saw in the Vancouver Province the other day that Sven Baertschi is working hard to get back to Calgary's roster, and the answer why is obvious. But one wonders if things are going to be like they were before when he claws his way back into the big club's lineup. Bob Hartley seems to delight in misusing him, then scapegoating him when things predictably go wrong, and thus it's fair to wonder if he'll ever get a fair shake with this coach.

The way things are starting to look with regard to player deployment in Calgary are not dissimilar to the issues in Toronto right now: The coach has His Guys who can do no wrong, and things are very much the opposite for those who are Not His Guys. Randy Carlyle recently benched Jake Gardiner for almost the entire second period because of one or two turnovers in a game in which the entire Leafs team was turning the puck over consistently. Mark Fraser, meanwhile, got torched on just about every shift and didn't see his ice time drop at all.

Maybe Hartley will have changed his mind about the kid once he finally gets back to the big club, but I am not counting on it. The good news on that front is that Hartley doesn't really seem long for his job, given that his contract only has one year left after this one and the new GM will probably want “his guy,” as Feaster did when hiring Hartley in the first place.

You have to let your best players succeed, and put them in a position to do so, especially when they're young. If I'm Baertschi, I'm not counting on that kind of opportunity in Calgary from this coach.

Yer ol' buddy Lambert is handsome and great and everyone loves him. Also you can visit his regular blog at The Two-Line Pass or follow him on Twitter. Lucky you!

Ryan...I like your article. I would add that organizational structures are put in place and often change. I can see the current model changed to suit Burkes skills...that is he would be both Pres and GM and bring in a couple of capable assistants to help run the scouting and operations. He will go through the due diligence of GM search to appease the critics but at the end of the day he will be the king pin.

I agree with your views on Hartley. He is as good as gone after the season. Burke will bring in his own guy (Ron Wilson?). Hartley is Feaster's boy and carries too much baggage and as well favours the veterans over developing young talent. Having said that I'm not so sure a Ron Wilson type would be much different. Regardless by the start of next season this will be an entirely different organization and team. As I mentioned before on FN I am OK with that when your currently 25 in a 30 team league.

I'll lead the riot and buy the torches and pitch forks if that idiot a-hole Wilson gets hired here.

Do you really think that they would decide to fire him then, but then allow him to make some of the franchises biggest moves with the Iggy trade, and then continue to allow him to be in control for one of the more important drafts/summers in a number of years?

Ryan...I like your article. I would add that organizational structures are put in place and often change. I can see the current model changed to suit Burkes skills...that is he would be both Pres and GM and bring in a couple of capable assistants to help run the scouting and operations. He will go through the due diligence of GM search to appease the critics but at the end of the day he will be the king pin.

I agree with your views on Hartley. He is as good as gone after the season. Burke will bring in his own guy (Ron Wilson?). Hartley is Feaster's boy and carries too much baggage and as well favours the veterans over developing young talent. Having said that I'm not so sure a Ron Wilson type would be much different. Regardless by the start of next season this will be an entirely different organization and team. As I mentioned before on FN I am OK with that when your currently 25 in a 30 team league.

Off-topic a little: Is it possible for the links you guys post in your articles to appear in a new window rather than having to go back and forth waiting for each page to load?

Nit-picking, I know. Others may disagree.

As for Feaster: I now honestly believe that it wasn't BB who fired him. I think ownership fired him over the ROR debacle, but just didn't announce it for not wanting to embarass thmeselves (them being the ones that brought him in to work with Darryl and then gave him the GM job).

Also, who to replace him with? So they bided their time until they could find the right guy (or their 'right guy'), this time a well-respected 'hockey guy' with a lengthy track record. It then took considerable time to sell BB on the position.

BB comes in, does a review and eats it as the guy who canned Feaster. I think the decision had already been made, ownership just didn't want Feaster's firing directly linked to themselves or to the ROR incident.

Like you, I am in agreement that Ron Wilson is not the right person for the Calgary Flames Hockey Club. That said, I am in disagreement with your comments about Bob Hartley; nevertheless, it would be great to see a different organizational structure... players who are just as skilled and talented as they are physical....

The Flames are developing a Boston curse, not as bad as the Anaheim one thought. We will break all in due time. When the Flames are a powerhouse team, the Ducks and Bruins could possibly be in our position.

I'm not sure Nieuwendyk would be the best option, even if he wasn't interested. The Neal-Goligoski trade stands out as a large blunder on his part. Benning, Fenton and Poulin are the names we keep hearing, but a lot of people are overlooking Ron Hextall. The Flames should seriously consider him as a candidate and at least contact him. He just may not want Burke over his shoulder.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little concerned now. I wasn't at all before but after Burke's debauched press conference orgy of "Big, bangers, truculance RABBLE! RABBLE! RABBLE!" I'm a little concerned that Mr. & Mrs. Gaudreau might be sitting at home wondering if this is the best fit for their son.

If he doesn't end up signing because of Burke's pseudo-sexual Big'n'Tall fetish I'll be seriously pissed.

Gaudreau should be happy to hear that he will be surrounded by some large humans that DON'T want to run him through the boards (his team mates), not just those who ARE trying to do so.

It's only a matter of time before people start worrying themselves stupid over the unfounded contract status of Gadreau and the fear of him bolting... Save it, he cant do that unless he does another year of school.

It's only a matter of time before people start worrying themselves stupid over the unfounded contract status of Gadreau and the fear of him bolting... Save it, he cant do that unless he does another year of school.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little concerned now. I wasn't at all before but after Burke's debauched press conference orgy of "Big, bangers, truculance RABBLE! RABBLE! RABBLE!" I'm a little concerned that Mr. & Mrs. Gaudreau might be sitting at home wondering if this is the best fit for their son.

If he doesn't end up signing because of Burke's pseudo-sexual Big'n'Tall fetish I'll be seriously pissed.

Do you really think that they would decide to fire him then, but then allow him to make some of the franchises biggest moves with the Iggy trade, and then continue to allow him to be in control for one of the more important drafts/summers in a number of years?

I doubt it, it was Burke.

Yes, too a degree. Weisbrod's, Conroy would've been involved with King overseeing.

Just saying that I think it was in their mind that Feaster was not the one and they didn't want to just rush out and grab the first available guy.

The ROR disaster wouldn't be duplicated, so from that sense there was no danger. That said, I think it cost Feaster his job